Rich Gannon’s QB corner: Kirk Cousins

I think the intangibles are off the charts with Kirk Cousins when you really study him.

Experience

He talks about the lack of experience; he hasn’t played a ton of football in his first three years in the NFL, but I think he has benefited from valuable reps. The time where RG3 was recuperating in the spring, and in training camp a year ago, Kirk Cousins took a majority of the reps. He played a ton of football in college. He won more games in Michigan State history than any other quarterback, including our own Jim Miller.

West Coast offense

I think he’s a really good fit in the West Coast offense. He’s a guy that gets the ball out quick. He anticipates, he has a high release point, he’s very accurate, he’s comfortable in the pocket, he has enough athleticism and he is quick enough to escape the rush and get out on the edge. He can throw accurately when he’s blitzed when he has pressure in his face. He shows a great deal of poise and confidence.

The team has really responded to his leadership. And again, as I’ve said before, you can make the argument he may be a better fit in this offense than even RG3, who’s more apt to pull it down and move around a little bit.